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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28706220">Puzzle Pieces</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunriseRose1023/pseuds/SunriseRose1023'>SunriseRose1023</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>When You Come Back To Me Again [8]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Marvel (Comics), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Amnesia, Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst and Humor, Fear, Friendship/Love, Gen, Memory Loss, Reader-Insert, Reader-Interactive, Recovered Memories, Secrets, Worry</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 09:27:57</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,099</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28706220</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunriseRose1023/pseuds/SunriseRose1023</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>You set out for New York on a search for answers, discovering much more than you bargained for.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Matt Murdock/Original Female Character(s), Matt Murdock/Reader, Steve Rogers/Original Female Character(s), Steve Rogers/Reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>When You Come Back To Me Again [8]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1283630</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Puzzle Pieces</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
</p><p>You sat in the sand, tears slipping down your cheeks. You didn’t even know why you were crying, but it felt good to let it out. You picked up your phone, staring down at it for a moment before looking out over the water. You took a deep breath and tapped your phone against your palm, then unlocked the screen, narrowing your eyes at a crack in the glass. You sighed and shook your head, tapping the screen until you found the name you wanted to call. You bit your bottom lip, glanced back out over the water, then dialed the call. </p><p><em>“Hello?”<br/></em>“Matt, it’s Y/N.”<br/><em>“You see, I have a little feature on my phone where a voice audibly tells me who’s calling. Comes in super handy when I’m trying to screen my calls.”</em></p><p>You laughed, sniffling. </p><p>
  <em>“You alright?”</em>
</p><p>Your face fell as the tears started back up. </p><p>“I don’t know.”<br/><em>“What’s wrong?”<br/></em>“I don’t know that, either.”<br/><em>“Where are you?”</em></p><p>You gave a shaky exhale, glancing around. </p><p>“Rockaway Beach.”<br/><em>“What the hell are you doing in Queens?”</em></p><p>You laughed, sniffling again, pulling your knees up. </p><p>“I’ve got some business here.”<br/><em>“Well, get out of there as quickly as you can.”</em></p><p>You laughed again, closing your eyes and feeling the ache in your heart ease just a bit. You loved how territorial New Yorkers were, and their disdain for the other boroughs of the city. Matt’s voice came through the speaker again, softer this time. </p><p>
  <em>“Maybe you can make your way to Manhattan and let me take you out to dinner.”</em>
</p><p>You pressed your lips together, closing your eyes. </p><p>“I’d like that. I … I’ll call you later?”<br/><em>“I’ll be waiting.”</em></p><p>You gave a quiet exhale, keeping your eyes closed, speaking softly. </p><p>“Thank you.”<br/><em>“Anytime, honey.”</em></p><p>You hung up the phone and set it beside you, opening your eyes and staring out at the water. You took in a breath, letting it out slowly, standing up and brushing yourself off. Sand was everywhere. Your phone started ringing and you looked at the cracked screen, seeing your sister’s face smiling back at you. You blinked, staring at the phone until her face went away and a notification appeared, letting you know you missed the call. You glanced up, looking out at the water once more before slipping the phone in your pocket and walking away. </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>You gave a slow exhale, straightening your shoulders as you stared at the apartment door. You felt your hands shaking, and you closed your eyes for just a moment, groaning softly as your phone started vibrating in your pocket. You lifted it, closing your eyes before you answered the call. </p><p>“Hello?”<br/><em>“I’ve been trying to call you all morning. Where are you?</em></p><p>You glanced at the apartment door, then walked down the hallway, back towards the elevator. You clicked your tongue in your mouth, then answered your sister. </p><p>“Dad had some things he wanted me to look into, so I came to the City.”<br/><em>“Which City?”<br/></em>“New York.”<br/><em>“Y/N, you went by yourself?”</em></p><p>You huffed out a breath. </p><p>“I’m not a child, Betty. I can do things on my own.”<br/><em>“I know, honey. But you don’t have to.”</em></p><p>You nodded, glancing down the hall. </p><p>“I needed some space.”</p><p>Betty was quiet, and you swallowed before you spoke again. </p><p>“Betty, I’m about to go into a meeting. I’ll call you later.”</p><p>You didn’t bother waiting for her reply. You shut your phone off and dropped it into your purse, walking back down the hallway to the apartment you’d been standing before. You took in a breath and let it out slowly, lifting your hand and knocking at the door. After a moment, the door opened to reveal a woman standing there, her long brown hair hanging down, a wide smile on her face. </p><p>“Hi!”</p><p>You smiled, returning the greeting as she ushered you inside. </p><p>“I am just so excited to meet you.”<br/>“I’m excited to meet you, too.”</p><p>You held out a hand and she eagerly shook it. </p><p>“Lucy Whitmore.”<br/>“May Parker. Please come in.”</p><p>You followed her into the apartment, a smile coming to your face when you saw the homey space. May shook her head as she turned to face you. </p><p>“Are you sure we’ve never met? There’s something about you that seems so familiar.”</p><p>May tapped a finger against her chin. </p><p>“Lucy Whitmore. Did we go to high school together?”</p><p>You gave a quiet laugh. </p><p>“No, I don’t think so. Maybe I just have one of those faces.”</p><p>You turned away so May wouldn’t notice the flush on your cheeks. She softly clapped her hands together and you looked back to see her smiling at you. </p><p>“Pete’s finishing up his schoolwork right now. We decided to homeschool when the comics blew up the way they did. All those kiddos he went to school with suddenly overtly interested in him was just too much.”</p><p>May rolled her eyes and you blinked. </p><p>“He’s homeschooled?”</p><p>May turned to you, eyebrows furrowing. </p><p>“You’re surprised?”</p><p>You smiled. </p><p>“Very, actually. I’m afraid I haven’t done adequate research on my part. My coworkers made it seem like Peter was … older.”</p><p>May smiled. </p><p>“We get that a lot. He’s fifteen, but he acts older. Well … sometimes. Fifteen-year-old boys have their moments.”</p><p>She rolled her eyes and you gave a quiet laugh. You glanced away, swallowing once before May spoke. </p><p>“Can I get you something to drink?”<br/>“Water would be lovely, thank you.”</p><p>She nodded, walking into the kitchen. You gave a shaky breath, licking your lips as you walked towards the small window in the living room. </p><p>Peter Parker, the artist responsible for the comics you’d been reading, was a kid? The cover story you’d given May, that you were a journalist wanting to write an article about the comic books taking the world by storm, was quickly tanking. Especially since, with Peter Parker being only fifteen years old, May would definitely want to sit in on the interview. You closed your eyes, blowing out a slow, shaky breath. </p><p>
  <em>“But what if I need a cover story?”<br/>“Why would you need a cover story?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>You shook your head, one hand messing with your hair. You heard the low laugh behind you a second before warm hands slid over your hips, pulling you back against a wide chest. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“If you ever need a cover story, just call for me.”<br/>“But what if you’re not there?”<br/>“I’ll always be there. Especially if you need me.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>You felt lips against your neck and your eyes slipped closed before his voice echoed in your ear. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“The trick is, there are no tricks. Play it as best you can, and if you can’t, get the fuck out of there.”<br/>“Language!”</em>
</p><p>Laughter was still ringing in your ears when you noticed May standing in front of you. You blinked and she shook her head. </p><p>“I said, are you okay? You kind of spaced out there.”</p><p>You pushed a smile onto your face. </p><p>“Sorry, I … I get lost in my head a lot.”</p><p>May nodded sagely, handing you a glass of water. </p><p>“I’ve heard that happens quite often with writers.”</p><p>You nodded, taking a sip of the crisp, cool water. </p><p>“May, I’m done! And if you say anything about chemistry, I swear …”</p><p>The boy stopped as he walked into the room, eyebrows furrowing. He was wearing a shirt from one of the local pizza places, tilting his head as he looked at you. You smiled as May rushed over to him. </p><p>“Peter, this is Lucy Whitmore. She’s the one writing that article I told you about.”</p><p>Peter quickly looked to you and narrowed his eyes, and you couldn’t help but lift an eyebrow. He smiled, stepping forward and holding out a hand. You shook it, and Peter turned to May. </p><p>“You know how we were talking about me taking more responsibility and stuff?”<br/>“No, sir. This is not what—“<br/>“Come on, May! I’m not going to say anything stupid.”<br/>“Pete, we—“</p><p>You cleared your throat and they looked to you. You smiled and nodded to May. </p><p>“I can email you a copy of the article before I publish it. Make sure to get your okay before I send it into the world.”</p><p>She sighed, looking back to Peter, who was staring at her with hopeful eyes. She held his gaze for a moment, then exhaled sharply. </p><p>“No spoilers.”<br/>“None.”<br/>“Any details about upcoming issues is off the record.”</p><p>You and Peter nodded, and May shook her head before she ruffled his hair. </p><p>“I’ll be right out here.”<br/>“You’re the best, May.”<br/>“Yeah, yeah.”</p><p>You giggled softly, nodding and winking at her before you followed Peter down the hallway to his bedroom. It was cleaner than you were expecting a teenage boy’s bedroom to be, and Peter offered you his desk chair. You sat down and he locked the door, crossing his arms over his chest. </p><p>“You’re not really a reporter, are you?”</p><p>Your eyes widened and he nodded. You smiled, meeting his eyes. </p><p>“How did you know?”<br/>“Lucy Whitmore? That’s who Drew Barrymore played in <em>50 First Dates</em>. The movie where she—“<br/>“Has short-term memory loss. You’re smart.”</p><p>Peter shrugged, and you looked down at your hands. </p><p>“Who are you really and why are you here?”</p><p>You let out a breath, lifting your head to meet his eyes. </p><p>“I really am here to talk about the comics.”<br/>“I can let you read a little of the next one, but …”<br/>“No, that’s not …”</p><p>You sighed, reaching into your purse and pulling out the Avengers comic you’d stashed in there. You held a finger on the big “A” on the cover, looking back to the boy across from you. </p><p>“Where did you come up with this?”</p><p>Peter’s eyes widened for a split second, before he tried to play it off. He shrugged his shoulders, lifting a hand to scratch at the back of his neck. </p><p>“It just came to me one day. In, uh … Advanced Math, if you can believe it.”</p><p>You slowly nodded, leaning back in the chair, crossing your arms over your chest, crossing one leg over the other. </p><p>“And you just … imagined all these characters fighting together?”<br/>“Well, sure. I mean … there’s some humans, some … ‘enhanced’ beings, if you will.”<br/>“Not to mention the demigod.”</p><p>Peter made a face as he moved closer to the bed, glancing down at the comic. </p><p>“Well, he’s not really a demigod. He’s kind of a god, but then kinda not? He’s Asgardian and he controls the lightning, but he gets hurt like a regular human, so it’s kind of …”</p><p>He looked at you, letting his rambling trail off as you smiled. You gave a slow nod. </p><p>“Semantics.”</p><p>Peter swallowed and nodded. </p><p>“Who are you again?”</p><p>You took in a breath, letting it out slowly. </p><p>“My name is Y/N Ross. I’m …”</p><p>You let your words die when you saw Peter go pale, his body visibly trembling as he scrambled to get away from you. You shook your head and Peter pushed his hands through his hair before he turned to you, shaking his head. </p><p>“You—you have … you have to leave.”<br/>“Peter, calm down.”<br/>“No, you—you can’t be here. You have—you need to go.”</p><p>You stood up, watching Peter wrap his arms around his torso, muttering under his breath as he shook his head. His body gave a hard shake and he turned for the door, but you shot out a hand. </p><p>“Wait!”</p><p>He turned his head to look back at you and you shook your head. </p><p>“Just talk to me for a minute. What happened?”</p><p>Peter kept his mouth shut and you took a slow step forward. </p><p>“Was it my father?”</p><p>Peter’s jaw went slack and you nodded, closing your eyes and swallowing hard. You opened them to look back at him and you shook your head. </p><p>“I promise, you’ll be okay. My father doesn’t even know that I’m here.”<br/>“Please, just … just go.”</p><p>Tears filled your eyes as you slowly shook your head. </p><p>“What did he do to you?”</p><p>Peter squeezed his eyes shut and pressed his lips together and you took a step back, your legs giving out when you were in front of Peter’s desk chair. You covered your mouth with a hand, closing your eyes. Peter’s voice was soft and so very young when he broke the silence. </p><p>“He said … I didn’t have a choice. He threat— he said May would be … and I couldn’t. She’s all I got; I couldn’t let anything happen to her.”</p><p>You lifted your eyes to the boy standing across from you, hands sliding up and down his arms. Your heart broke for him and how terrified he must have felt, and one of the pieces of your heart lit up in anger at your father for putting this sweet child through that. You met his eyes again and you shook your head. </p><p>“I’m so sorry. I don’t have any idea why he’d do that.”</p><p><em>Of course you do,</em> your brain screamed. It was because of you; of that, you were certain. But why? Your eyes slid closed as you moved a shaking hand to the comic book still lying on Peter’s bed. </p><p>“It was real, wasn’t it?”</p><p>He didn’t answer you, and you slowly opened your eyes, turning your head to face him. </p><p>“These … characters, these people, these stories … they really happened.”</p><p>Peter just stared at you with wide eyes. You gave a slow shake of your head, a humorless laugh leaving your lips. </p><p>“That’s the only explanation. These comics really happened and I had something to do with it. The General’s trying to hide that.”</p><p>Your shaking hand moved to cover your mouth and Peter shook his head as he walked over, kneeling in front of you. </p><p>“I don’t know the whole story. Really, I don’t. The General came to me and told me to make these comics, backdate some of them and he’d help me send them into circulation. As long as I did what he wanted, May would be safe.”</p><p>You closed your eyes, reaching out. Peter took your hand, holding it in both of his. </p><p>“I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”<br/>“Don’t apologize, Peter. You haven’t done anything wrong.”</p><p>You opened your eyes and smiled at him. You moved your hand to pat his that was holding yours and you sighed. </p><p>“I’m going to make sure that you and May are safe. Do you understand me? Whatever my father told you, I’m going to make sure that you’re okay.”</p><p>You gave his hand a squeeze and Peter nodded. You shook your head, letting go of his hands, turning to pick up the comic book and sliding it into your bag. You hung your head and slowly exhaled, shaking it again, disbelief in your heart, but a somehow unsurprised feeling in your bones. </p><p>You thought you knew how far the General would go, the lengths he’d go to see what he wanted come to fruition. To see the truth made you feel sick at your stomach. </p><p>“Hey, Y/N?”</p><p>You turned to Peter, saw on his face the internal battle he was fighting. After a moment, he tossed out his hands, giving a sharp exhale as he looked to you. </p><p>“There’s this garage over in Flushing. Ask for Eddie Collins. He can help you.”</p><p>You narrowed your eyes, but Peter nodded. </p><p>“Trust me.”</p><p>You slowly nodded. </p><p>“Eddie Collins?”<br/>“Make sure you ask for him. Don’t talk to anyone else.”</p><p>You blinked but nodded again, making your way to the door. You held your hand on the knob, turning back to him. </p><p>“The people you write about. Are you like them?”<br/>“Do I save the world?”</p><p>Peter gave a laugh. </p><p>“I’m just a kid from Queens.”</p><p>You lifted an eyebrow. </p><p>“You need to work on your truth-telling skills, my friend. I can see the lie all over your face.”</p><p>Peter’s eyes widened and you gave a quiet laugh. He lifted a hand to rub the back of his hair. </p><p>“I’m still trying to iron out all the kinks.”</p><p>You smiled and nodded. </p><p>“Well, take it easy, friendly neighborhood—spider.”</p><p>Peter’s eyes widened. </p><p>“What?”</p><p>You pointed to the wall behind him. </p><p>“Careful. There’s a spider.”</p><p>He turned, giving a quiet laugh when he saw the spider crawling on his wall. </p><p>“Thanks.”<br/>“Take care, Peter.”<br/>“You, too.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>You sat in your chair, glass of wine in your hand. You smiled when you saw the man walking towards your table, sitting up straighter when he put his hands on the back of the chair across from you. </p><p>“Hello, Miss Ross.”<br/>“Hello, Mr. Murdock. Please, sit down.”</p><p>He nodded, pulling out the chair and sitting across from you. </p><p>“Have you been here before?”</p><p>You gave a quiet laugh. </p><p>“I don’t know. Some things seem familiar, but … I don’t know what to believe anymore.”</p><p>You went quiet, and Matt’s voice was gentle when he spoke again. </p><p>“Why do I have the feeling that’s a loaded statement?”</p><p>You gave a quiet laugh. </p><p>“Because it is?”<br/>“Do you want to talk about it?”</p><p><em>More than you know</em>, you thought. You shook your head, smiling as you reached across the table and laid your hand on his. </p><p>“No. I’d rather talk to you.”<br/>“Oh, and here I thought we’d have fun tonight.”</p><p>You gave a quiet laugh, taking another sip of your wine. </p><p>“What’s that you’re drinking?”<br/>“Cabernet. Do you want a glass? I ordered a bottle.”</p><p>Matt’s eyebrows rose above his dark glasses and you gave a laugh. </p><p>“It’s been a day.”<br/>“I understand that.”<br/>“Tell me about your day, Mr. Murdock.”</p><p>Matt smiled, gently rubbing your hand with his thumb. </p><p>“Well, it all started down at the office.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>You had your arm through Matt’s, the two of you close together as you walked through Central Park. The night was cool, comfortable, even more so with the heat from the man beside you. </p><p>“I … I hope I’m not being too forward.”</p><p>You smiled. </p><p>“If you were, I wouldn’t have agreed to walk home with you.”<br/>“I know, but we’ve only gone on one date.”<br/>“But we’ve talked nearly every day since we met.”</p><p>Matt nodded, and you gave a quiet sigh. </p><p>“Nothing has to happen. We’re just getting to know each other a little better.”<br/>“You’re right.”<br/>“I know.”</p><p>Matt gave a soft laugh, his cane scratching the ground as he constantly moved it. You looked around, always enraptured with the sight of New York City, the skyline able to take your breath away whether the sun was visible or not. </p><p>“I love New York.”<br/>“Are you wearing one of those t-shirts?”</p><p>You laughed, nudging Matt’s shoulder with your own as he smiled. </p><p>“No, but I need one.”<br/>“You only love it because you don’t live here. If you live here, or if you were from here, you’d have to hate it. Unless someone tried to speak ill of it, in which case, you kick their ass.”</p><p>You laughed. </p><p>“You New Yorkers are all the same.”<br/>“This is true. No one can talk bad about New York except those of us from New York. If anyone else tries, we must defend her honor.”</p><p>You rolled your eyes, a smile on your face. Matt slowly came to a stop, tapping his cane on the ground. </p><p>“This is my building.”</p><p>You nodded, unlooping your arm from his, taking hold of his hand. Neither of you said anything for a moment, until you spoke softly. </p><p>“I can get a cab and go back to my hotel.”</p><p>Matt nodded, stepping closer to you, speaking as softly as you had. </p><p>“You could.”</p><p>He lifted a hand, and you closed your eyes when his fingers tucked some hair behind your ear before tracing over your jaw. </p><p>“Or you could come up with me. No pressure, no promises. I have a fairly comfortable couch if the wine hits you.”</p><p>You gave a quiet laugh. </p><p>“I feel fine.”<br/>“Really? We went through two bottles. And I didn’t have that much.”</p><p>You lifted an eyebrow and Matt gave a laugh. </p><p>“I’m not calling you a lush by any means. I just don’t want to—“<br/>“If you say <em>‘take advantage of me</em>,’ I’m going to take that cane and bop you on the head with it.”</p><p>Matt laughed, giving your hand a squeeze. You gave a soft exhale, studying his stubbled face. </p><p>“I’m in complete control of my faculties. I can walk in a straight line, touch my fingers to my nose.”<br/>“Can you say your ABCs backwards?”<br/>“I can barely say them forwards.”</p><p>Matt laughed, squeezing your hand again. </p><p>“Okay, then. Follow me.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>You stood in the middle of Matt’s loft, shaking your head at the sheer size of the place. </p><p>“How do you afford this place?”<br/>“Give it a second.”</p><p>You waited, quickly turning away and blinking over and over again when a neon billboard lit up the space. The light through the multiple windows made the loft feel like midday, even though it was night. You smiled, shaking your head. </p><p>“Okay, now I see.”<br/>“No one wants to live with the lights that bright. Doesn’t bother me, so …”</p><p>You gave a quiet laugh, accepting the cup of water Matt handed you. He had a smile on his face, a cup in his hand that he sipped from. You looked down at your cup, speaking softly. </p><p>“I had a good time with you tonight.”<br/>“Me, too. I hope I was able to take your mind off of whatever it is that’s going on.”</p><p>You sighed. </p><p>“It’s a lot of stuff. And you did, I … I don’t usually drink that much. And I don’t drink often, or whenever things are going kinda crappy.”<br/>“Hey, calm down.”</p><p>Matt took the cup from your hands and you pushed them through your hair. He picked up one of your hands and you shook your head, closing your eyes as he spoke. </p><p>“I completely understand wanting to make the world go away. Especially when it feels like everything is ganging up on you. But look at you. You said it yourself, you’re in complete control of your faculties. No sloppy drunks here.”</p><p>You smiled, lifting your head to see the soft smile on Matt’s face. You gave his hand a squeeze, then let it go, reaching up and taking the glasses off his face. He stood still and let you, and you spoke softly. </p><p>“I’ve never seen you without the glasses on.”<br/>“Would you mind if I did something?”<br/>“Probably not.”</p><p>Matt gave a quiet laugh, lifting his hands and cupping your face in them. You were still as his fingertips began to move over your skin, your eyes falling closed as he mapped out your features through touch. His hands went back to cupping your face as he quietly spoke. </p><p>“Just as I thought. You’re gorgeous.”</p><p>You took in a breath as Matt leaned in, gently pressing his lips to yours. Your hands slid around him, pulling him close as his hands slipped into your hair. You moaned as Matt’s lips moved from yours to your cheek, down to your neck. You pushed a hand through his hair, holding him against you, and he moved your shirt aside to kiss your shoulder. </p><p>Your eyes flew open as your body suddenly felt ice cold. You weren’t seeing anything, but you could feel a different pair of lips on your neck, different arms around you, and you suddenly felt so <em>wrong</em>. </p><p>“Wait. Wait, stop.”</p><p>Matt pulled back, concern visible on his face. You stepped away from him, shaking hand flying to your lips. You shook your head and Matt spoke softly. </p><p>“Y/N? Are you okay? What is it?”</p><p>You moved a hand to place it against the wall, pressing hard, trying to steady yourself. You sank down to your knees, sliding off them to sit on the floor. Matt sank down beside you, one hand sliding from your shoulder down to your hand. </p><p>“God, your pulse is racing. Talk to me, Y/N.”</p><p>You took your hand from his, moving to your hands and knees, staring at the floor as you tried to ground yourself. Matt gently laid a hand on your back. </p><p>“Do I need to call someone? Are you okay? Please, say something.”</p><p>You gave a shaky exhale, closing your eyes, a tear sliding down your cheek and hitting the floor before your barely audible voice spoke. </p><p>“I’m sorry.”<br/>“Don’t be sorry. Jesus. What happened?”</p><p>You shook your head, opening your eyes, staring at the hardwood floor, studying the grain. </p><p>“There is someone.”<br/>“Someone who?”<br/>“I don’t know. I don’t know anything. <em>God!”</em></p><p>You slammed your fists into the floor, hanging your head and screaming through clenched teeth. Hot tears coursed down your cheeks as you squeezed your eyes shut, anger and pain rolling through you like a tidal wave. </p><p>“Um … Y/N?”</p><p>You opened your eyes to look at Matt, seeing the confusion on his face. You could see his shoulders moving, and you followed the line of his arms until you saw his hands, fingers moving over two deep grooves in the floor. </p><p>Grooves from your fists. </p><p>You’d nearly punched holes in his floor. </p><p>“Oh my god. Matt, I … I’m so …”<br/>“How did you do that?”</p><p>You stared at your hands, turning them over and over again as your body started to tremble. Matt gently laid a hand on your shoulder and you flinched hard, moving away from him and sitting with your back against the wall. </p><p>“Don’t. You should get away from me. I don’t … oh my god.”<br/>“Just breathe. You’re safe here.”</p><p>You laughed, shaking your head as you looked to him. </p><p>“How can you say that? I’m a complete mess.”<br/>“Kindred spirits and all that.”</p><p>You shook your head as you studied his handsome face. He had a slight smile on his lips, eyes trained down, away from you. You exhaled, speaking softly. </p><p>“I think something happened to me. Not an accident like everyone says. Something worse.”<br/>“Like what?”</p><p>You shook your head. </p><p>“I don’t know. My sister tells me it was a car accident. That I unbuckled my seatbelt to get my phone out of the backseat and crashed. But Matt …”</p><p>You sighed, studying the floor as the billboard lit up again, multicolored lights streaming in through the windows, covering Matt in an almost halo. He crawled until he could sit beside you, taking your hand. You let him, leaning over to rest your head against his shoulder. </p><p>“I don’t think you would have done that.”</p><p>You didn’t say anything, and Matt went on. </p><p>“You don’t seem like the kind of person to risk your life for a stupid phone.”<br/>“I don’t want to say I’d never do that, but … I had my phone hooked up to my car. I remembered that, how I used to press a button on the steering wheel and make a call.”</p><p>You shook your head. </p><p>“I don’t know what really happened, but ever since I woke up, I feel … I don’t know. Like I don’t know my own strength. I think I broke my phone the other day just by tapping it against my hand. And now your floor …”<br/>“Don’t worry about my floor. Tell me more.”</p><p>You sighed, watching the lights dance across the floor. </p><p>“I felt fine when I woke up, but the doctors were flabbergasted. They said I shouldn’t have been able to even turn over in the bed. My muscles should have atrophied and I should have been weak, but I was fine. I could move, I could walk. And then I stepped on some broken glass, but by the time I got to the bathroom to bandage the cut, it was gone. I mean, I was bleeding. But there was no evidence of it.”</p><p>You blew out a breath, shaking your head. </p><p>“This didn’t come from a car accident. Not unless someone drugged me or something while I was in the coma, but I don’t think Betty would have left me alone long enough for that.”</p><p>Matt sighed beside you, shaking his head. </p><p>“I wish I could help you.”</p><p>You smiled, reaching over to pat the hand you were holding.</p><p>“You are.”</p><p>Matt smiled, resting his head on yours. You swallowed, speaking softly. </p><p>“I’m sorry for earlier.”<br/>“Don’t apologize.”<br/>“No, I … I feel like I’ve been leading you on or something.”</p><p>Matt chuckled softly. </p><p>“It’s okay. I figured from the beginning that there was no way you could be single.”</p><p>You shook your head.</p><p>“I don’t understand. I feel like there’s someone important, but where is he? Where has he been all this time? I feel like there’s someone I love that loves me back, but … how can that be if it’s been nearly two years and I haven’t seen him?”</p><p>Matt gave your hand a squeeze and you shook your head. </p><p>“I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t be dumping this on you. God, I’m awful.”<br/>“Hey, I’m cool with this. I’d rather be your friend than nothing at all.”</p><p>You shook your head again, this time a soft smile on your face. </p><p>“You’re a good man, Matt Murdock.”<br/>“Eh, I’m just glad I’ve got you fooled.”</p><p>You gave a quiet laugh, patting his hand again. </p><p>“I should go.”<br/>“But it’s so late. I can’t let you go out into the City alone.”<br/>“Matt, I’m a big girl.”<br/>“Yeah, but it’s still New York City at night. Sorry, but I’m putting my foot down. Not like you, because then it might go through the floor, but—“</p><p>Your shocked gasp trailed off into a laugh, and Matt was grinning when you gently shoved his shoulder. He brought your hand to his lips and kissed your knuckles, giving your hand a squeeze before he stood up. </p><p>“Take the bed.”<br/>“I’m not kicking you out of your bed. I’ll sleep on the couch.”</p><p>The billboard lights blazed, making you squint as you got to your feet. Matt just smiled at you, and you gave a sigh, sniffling and nodding your head. </p><p>“Alright, fine. But I’m not happy about it.”<br/>“Noted.”</p><p>You turned to face Matt, stepping forward and wrapping your arms around him. He hugged you back, gentle hands rubbing up and down your back. Your voice was soft when you whispered in his ear. </p><p>“Thank you.”<br/>“Anytime. I mean that.”</p><p>You nodded, tightening the hug for just a moment before you stepped away, heading for his bedroom. Matt stood in the blazing lights of his living room, staring after you, eyes slowly closing as he gave a deep exhale. </p>
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